French Dips (Slow Cooker)

French Dips have always been one of my Hubby's favorite sandwiches, so when I saw this recipe that was so easy & delicious looking I just had to give it a go.

I even made fresh rolls with my French Bread recipe and the results were INCREDIBLE!  As I prepared things I tasted the meat & thought "Uh oh, bland." Then I tried the sauce and thought, "Uh oh, is that right?" Then we put them all together and it sang.

We ate it so fast we didn't even get a picture. : )


French Dips (Slow Cooker) - from blogchef.net

• 1 (4 pound) boneless beef roast
• ½ cup soy sauce (I used light, low sodium)
• 1 beef bouillon cube
• 1 bay leaf
• 3 whole black peppercorns
• 1 teaspoon dried rosemary (crushed)
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 onion, quartered, 2 handfuls baby carrots, 3 stalks celery
• Bread for serving - I used this recipe to make 8 buns

Cooking Instructions:

Remove any visible fat from the roast and discard the fat. Place the roast into a slow cooker. In a medium bowl combine soy sauce, beef bouillon cube, bay leaf, black peppers corns, rosemary, thyme, and garlic powder. Pour the mixture over the roast. Add enough water to almost over the roast. Add any vegetables if you desire. Cover and cook in the slow cooker for 10 hours* on low heat until the roast is very tender. (*Know your cooker! Mine was done in 8 hours, maybe less.)

Remove the roast from the broth (reserving the broth). Shred the roast with two forks.  Set aside.

Remove broth from slow cooker and strain - the finer mesh the better! I strained mine right into a sauce pan and let it simmer on low until time to serve. Discard veggies, or eat them as sides - I chopped my onion and put it back in with the meat to serve.  Put meat with a few ladles of liquid back in the slow cooker and keep it on warm until time to serve.  Stuff your bread with meat and serve with broth for dipping.

Mexican Potato Casserole

If you have a meat-and-potatoes man to feed like I do, sometimes meals can become a little mundane:

Meat potatoes gravy.

Meat-potatoes-gravy.

Chicken, potatoes, gravy.

So a dish like this is just what I needed to shake things up.  It’s meat, it’s potatoes, it’s hidden veggies, it’s Mexican, it’s awesome!

I bet you were so dazzled by the potatoes, corn, tomatoes, green chilies, beans, and beef that you didn’t even notice the celery huh?  Cha-Ching, that’s right celery.

This really is how I get my kicks.  It makes me want to laugh manically – muwahahahahaaaaa.
Tasty and filling, this recipe is sure to please and can easily be adapted* for your dietary needs.

Mexican Potato Casserole

• 1/2 lb lean ground beef
• 1 can pinto beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 med coarsely chopped onion
• 2 celery stalks, sliced lengthwise and then into thin pieces
• 1 can diced green chilies
• 2 cloves of garlic, minced
• 1 can petite diced tomatoes, undrained
• 1 (15 oz) can fiesta corn (that’s the corn with peppers in it), drained
• 1/2 Tbs. chili powder
• dash pepper
• 1/2 tsp cumin
• 4 small-med potatoes, peeled and thinly sliced in circles
• 1 c. sharp cheddar cheese

Begin by cooking the beef, celery, and onion until browned in the biggest skillet you have. Drain excess fat/juices.  Add the garlic and spices, cook for about 1 minute.  Next stir in the tomatoes and corn, heat through.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and prepare a 13×9 in baking pan with a little cooking spray.  Layer sliced potatoes until the pan is coated, then top potatoes with half the beans, half of the meat mixture and half of the cheese.  Repeat layers again.  Cover the dish tightly with tin foil and bake for about 1 hour and 15 minutes or until potatoes are soft.  Serve with sour cream if desired.

Some Adaptaions:

• Vegetarian: loose the beef and add more beans.
• Meat Lovers: up the hamburger to 1 lbs.
• Dairy free/lower-cal:  don’t use cheese, it softens up so much during baking that you really can’t notice it any way.

Mexican Filling

Awhile back I found a recipe for an enchilada casserole – you know the kind; layers of filling, layers of corn tortillas.  The only thing is, I really dislike corn tortillas. I dunno, it’s something to do with their texture that gives me the heebie jeebies.

But, I wanted to eat the filling… oh it sounded delightful, decadent, delicious…

So I made it, the filling only, and made tacos instead.  They were a hit!  This recipe is a perfect blend of flavors that can lend itself to tacos, burritos, enchiladas, taco salads – the possibilities are nearly endless!
The moral of the story: Don’t ever be afraid to take recipes apart and make them your own – you may find a real gem!

Mexican Filling

• ½ pound lean ground beef or turkey
• about ¾ c. chopped onion
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tsp. chili powder
• ½ tsp. ground cumin
• 1 (15 oz) can of pinto beans, drained, rinsed
• 1 (4 oz) can diced green chili peppers
• ½ c. water
• 2 Tbs fresh chopped cilantro, if desired

Sauté beef, onion, and garlic until meat is browned, drain.  Add all other ingredients to fry pan and cook together until most of the water has evaporated.

Serve as tacos, burritos, enchiladas, taco salads, or however you wish.

Manhattan Meatballs

We first tried this no fry meatball recipe during our move to Texas because our pots were lost. It's a tangy BBQ recipe for beef, but turkey could be a fine substitute. This is the recipe that I first came across, but we prefer to make it with more sauce.

*No Fry* Manhattan Meatballs

• 1 lb ground beef or turkey (get the leanest meat possible since you don’t get to drain it)
• 1/2 c. onion, chopped
• 2 c. soft bread crumbs
• 2 eggs
• 2 Tbs fresh parsley (I substituted about 3/4 Tbs dried)
• 2 tsp salt
• 10 oz apricot preserves
• 1/2 c. BBQ sauce

In a large bowl combine beef, crumbs, onion, eggs, parsley, and salt. Form into balls and place on a greased baking sheet. Combine preserves and BBQ sauce in separate bowl. Brown the meatballs in the oven at 350 degrees (this doesn’t take too long, 5-10 minutes, just keep an eye on them). Place the browned meatballs in a casserole dish and cover with the sauce mix. Put back in the oven and cook for another 40 minutes or until cooked through. Serve meatballs with sauce over rice.

Lasagna Mix Up (or Beef Mozzarella Bake)

This recipe is a major crowd pleaser that I’ve taken from my mom. I bring it to gatherings, pot lucks, and people that need dinners and it always gets great reviews. This one is a staple around our house and is great for Italian flavor without breaking the bank on special ingredients.

Lasagna Mix Up

• 1 lb. lean hamburger
• 1 jar spaghetti sauce
• 1 can reduced fat cream of mushroom soup
• 2 c. shredded moz. cheese
• 2c. uncooked pasta (I usually use penne, bow ties, elbow, corkscrew, or a combination)

Cook pasta according to package instructions to an al dente firmness. Meanwhile, brown hamburger meat and drain excess fat. In a 13×9 in baking dish combine the spaghetti sauce and cream of mushroom soup until well blended together. Add hamburger and 1 cup of the shredded cheese and stir until evenly dispersed. Drain pasta and add to the sauce/meat mixture a little at a time until the dish is full and everything is well coated in sauce. Top with remaining cheese. Bake at 350 degrees for about 30 minutes or until edges are bubbly and the cheese is melted.

Crust-Less Dinner Quiche

This is one dinner that I made just to get outside the norm, but with low expectations for the final result.  Boy was I wrong!  This was delicious, easy, and a healthier alternative to buttery quiche.  I’m already plotting to make it again, but to do a few switch-a-roos to make it Mexican or a Cheddar Broccoli version.


Crust-less Dinner Quiche

• 3/4 pound lean ground beef
• 1 medium onion, peeled and chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 medium zucchini, shredded
• 1/2 teaspoon Italian Herb blend
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 cup shredded cheese (I used a mix of mozzarella and parmesan)
• 1/2 cup heart-healthy reduced-fat biscuit mix (such as Bisquick)
• 1 cup milk
• 2 eggs

Brown meat and onion in a frying pan.  When the meat is about half done use a cheese grater to shred the zucchini into the frying pan, stirring until mixed together.  Once meat and veggies have cooked through, drain excess fat and liquid.  Mix Italian herbs and pepper into the meat and veggie mixture.

Heat oven to 400 degrees. Spray a 9-inch pie plate with nonstick cooking spray. Dump meat and veggie mixture into the pie plate, then top with cheeses.  In a mixing bowl whisk together milk, eggs, and biscuit mix.  Pour batter into pie plate trying to disperse it evenly.

Bake for 25 minutes or until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean. Allow to cool for 5 to 10 minutes.

Serving size = 1/6 of pie.  Calories per serving: 239  Fat per serving: 11 grams.
Happy Cooking!

Crock Pot Lasagna

This is a super easy way to get real lasagna without the heat from an oven, or big pots of boiling water.

Crock Pot Lasagna

• 1 lb lean ground beef
• 1 jar favorite spaghetti sauce
• 2 c. cottage cheese
• 2 c. mozzarella cheese
• 1/2 c. parmesan cheese
• 6 regular lasagna noodles – UNCOOKED
• 1/4 c. water

In frying pan, brown ground beef and drain fat. Add water and pasta sauce, reserving a small amount of sauce to line bottom of crock pot. Stir until well blended. Line crock pot with very thin layer of sauce, then top with 2-3 uncooked lasagna noodles that are broken to fit shape (some overlap is fine). Cover noodles with half the cottage cheese, mozzarella cheese, and parmesan cheese, then top cheeses with half of the meat mixture. Repeat layers with the other half of the ingredients. Cook on low for 4 hours.

Kim’s Special Note: If you noticed the plastic lining in the pictures, that is a Reynold’s crock pot liner. You cook your meal in it just like normal, but then after serving the bag removes for virtually no clean up. If you want to try them, they are at the grocery store near the foils. I’m addicted to these things!

Crock Pot Stroganoff

This is a super easy crock-pot meal that really shocked me. I never liked stroganoff growing up, but with very few ingredients this recipe packs an amazing flavor that we love.

Crock Pot Beef Stroganoff

• 1-2 lbs. Lean beef stew meat
• 1/2 cup chopped onion
• 1 TBS Worcestershire sauce
• 1 can low-fat cream of mushroom soup
• 1/2 cup low-fat cream cheese
• 1/2 cup water
• 4 cups egg noodles

Salt and pepper stew meat and place in crock pot. Cover w/ chopped onion. Mix Worcestershire, mushroom soup, and water and pour over meat. Cook on low setting of crock pot for 6-8 hours.

For the last 15 to 20 minutes add cream cheese. Meanwhile, boil egg noodles. Stir finished stroganoff until sauce is well blended and serve over top of the egg noodles.

Happy Cooking!

Cheesy Burger Chowder

The weather has turned cold, even down here in Texas.  The time has come for me to unveil a Mama D classic, Cheesy Burger Chowder (AKA Cheeseburger Soup, but I’ve never liked that name since it sounds like a burger, bun, and mustard in a blender – ick).

This soup is seriously out of this world.  It’s creamy, flavorful, loaded with veggies, but it’s also bad… so, so bad for you.

I almost chickened out of posting this recipe, it’s THAT bad.  I told Hubby that I didn’t think I’d ever be able to make it again in good conscience and he nearly cried.  So for him, I’m putting this recipe out there, and promising to keep on making it from time to time, but I’m also going to put my notes about how to cut out some of the fat and calories (both versions have been tested on us and both were considered delicious).

**Going to a potluck sometime this month?  This soup will make you a rock star, I guarantee it.**

Cheesy Burger Chowder – Mama D’s version, with Kim notes for cutting back fat

• 1/2 lb. lean ground beef
• 3/4 c. chopped onion
• 3/4 c. shredded carrots (the amounts of veggies don’t need to be exact, I usually add a bit extra)
• 3/4 c. diced celery
• 1 tsp. basil
• 1 tsp. parsley
• 4 Tbs. butter/margarine, divided (I don’t use any butter in my version)
• 3 c. reduced-sodium chicken broth
• 4 c. peeled and diced potatoes (small bite sizes work best so that they cook faster)
• 1/4 c. flour
• 8 oz. Velveeta (I use the 2% milk variety that has less fat)
• 1 1/2 c. milk (skim)
• 3/4 tsp. salt (I skip this)
• 1/2 tsp. pepper
• 1/4 c. sour cream (I use fat-free)

Brown beef, drain, set aside.  In a large soup pot saute onion, carrots, celery, basil and parsley in 1 Tbs butter (or just use some cooking spray if omitting butter) until veggies are tender, about 10 minutes.  Add broth, potatoes, and beef.  Bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover and simmer for about 30 minutes or until potatoes are tender (this time will really depend on the size of the potatoes you cut).  Meanwhile, melt remaining 3 Tbs butter in a small saucepan and add flour.  Cook and stir for about 3 minutes or until bubbly, then add it to soup and bring to a boil.  (If not using butter, just throw the flour in the soup, but be very attentive for lumps and smash them out on the side of the pot with a fork if necessary.) Boil for 2 minutes, stirring well.  Reduce heat to low, add cheese in small chunks, milk, salt and pepper.  Cook and stir until cheese is melted, remove from heat and blend in sour cream.

Black Bean Chili (with a hidden veggie)

Black Bean Chili – can you spot the hidden veggie? 

I shredded carrots into the mix! : )  The overall flavor is a sweet tang, but if you want to bring up the heat you can add hot sauce.

My personal fav is to serve chili over baked potatoes, mmm!

Black Bean Chili

• 1 lb ground beef
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 2 Tbs chili powder
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• ½ tsp black pepper
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 can reduced sodium chicken broth
• 1 cup fresh salsa (I recommend the kinds found in the produce section)
• 1 Tbs sugar
• 1 can black beans, drained, rinsed
• 1 can corn, drained
• 10 baby carrots, shredded to tiny pieces

Cook meat with onion and carrots in a large pot, drain fat. Add all other ingredients, stirring until combined.  Bring chili to a boil, reduce heat to med-low, cover and let simmer for 30 minutes.

*Add hot sauce for more kick if that’s what you go for in chili.

Beef & Broccoli Au Gratins

This is a meat-and-potatoes kind of meal, but with sneaky veggies too. We tried these once and were quite surprised at how much we liked them.

Beef & Broccoli Au Gratins

• 3 large baking potatoes
• 1/2 lb lean ground beef
• 1/2 bag (6 oz) broccoli slaw
• 1/2 c. milk
• 2 oz non-fat cream cheese
• 1 1/2 c. sharp cheddar cheese
• pinch of pepper
• pinch of nutmeg
• 1/4 tsp garlic powder
• 1/4 tsp basil

Bake the potatoes using the oven or microwave. Meanwhile, brown meat and drain. Add broccoli slaw to meat and allow to cook until just wilted. Add milk, cheddar cheese, cream cheese, pepper, nutmeg, garlic, and basil. Warm until cheese is melted and all is well blended. Start heating broiler at 350 degrees. Take baked potatoes and split lengthwise on a cookie sheet. Cover with meat mixture and sprinkle with additional cheddar cheese if desired. Broil for about 3 minutes or until cheese is melted.